RT Article
T1 Marble Sculptures from the Great Eastern Baths of Gerasa (Jordan): The Sources of the Marbles
JF Bulletin of ASOR
VO 384
SP 21
OP 43
A1 Bashaireh, Khaled al-
A2 Weber-Karyotakis, Thomas M. 1953-
A2 Abu-Jaber, Nizar
A2 Lepaon, Thomas
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://ixtheo.de/Record/1880474522
AB This paper aims to examine the provenance of Roman marble statues uncovered from the Eastern Roman Baths (Gerasa of the Decapolis, Jordan) during the 2016 and 2017 excavation campaigns. The samples were characterized using magnifying lenses, an x-ray diffractometer, a stable isotope mass spectrometer, and a polarized light microscope. The results show that the Aphrodite and drapery marbles are dolomitic and most probably from the Cape Vathy of Thassos Island (Greece); the Asklepios and Zeus marbles are fine-grained and most probably from Docimium (Turkey); the Melopmene, Demetrius Aphrodite, and eagle marbles are fine-grained and most probably from Penteli (Greece); the dancing satyr and Apollo marbles are coarse-grained and most probably from Lakkos (Paros Island, Greece); and the marble fragments of unknown statues are coarse-grained and most probably from Marmara (Proconnesus-1) Island, Turkey. The results indicate that sculptors preferred fine white marbles for carving sculptures in spite of their source, price, and sculpture workshop. The results agree with previous studies that showed a wide variety of marble sources, indicating that Gerasa prospered in its location on the King’s Highway and participated in a well-established trade network with the major cities and marble sources in the Roman Empire.
K1 Docimium
K1 Gerasa
K1 Levant
K1 Paros
K1 Penteli
K1 Thassos
K1 isotope analysis
K1 marble trade
K1 petrographic analysis
K1 Sculpture
DO 10.1086/710386